HERO'S DUTY: Console War
by ShadowLink108
Summary: It has been six months since the Sugar Rush Incident. Vanellope is about to celebrate her birthday and Calhoun has formed a police force for Litwak's Arcade. Everything seems to be going smoothly, until some strangers arrive. In one week, all hell breaks loose in Litwak's Arcade. A plot to kidnap Felix is under way as the four are dragging into a Console War outside the arcade!
1. Prologue

PROLOGUE

Video games have changed. There no longer about entertainment, for fun, or simply having a good time. There an endless series of console wars, fought by The Players and The Developers over graphics, features, and gameplay. Video games, and their vast consumption of time and money, have become a substantially lucrative market. Games have changed. Online players carrying DLC weapons, use IP addressed consoles, using expansion pack gear. Programs inside their source code enhance and regulate the PC's and NPC's abilities. Market control. Graphics control. Data control. Gameplay control. Everything is monitored by advertising executives, and kept under control. Games have changed. The age of entertainment has become the age of competition. All in the name of advertising merchandise for mass produced products. An he who controls the markets, controls popularity. Games have changed. When the market place is under total control, games...become violent and scary. In the end, there can only be one!

* * *

"Oh my Player! You're not going to believe what I found!"

"I don't believe it. Stop wasting my time."

"No! I'm serious. I found it. I found _him_."

"I doubt it. Look, we've had nothing but disappointments for the last months."

"Wait! Please give this a chance."

"Okay. Sell me on it!"

"Here. Look."

An enlarged photo covered the display.

"See? It's not another movie theater or Chuck E. Cheese, it's a real arcade."

In the photo was an old man, presumably the owner. But it was what was behind him that caught their attention. An clear view in the background of an arcade cabinet.

"This photo is recent too. Litwak's Arcade website was published five years ago."

"A lot can happen in five years."

"But _what if_?"

They both grinned manically.

"What if it _is_ a Fix-It Felix, Jr? After months of searching, what if you actually found it?"

"Good news, too. Litwak's Arcade is within the city."

"Great job, Juliet. I'll go inform Doctor Halsey of this right away!"

"Are we sending in a recon team?"

"Yes. We will be infiltrating Litwak's Arcade immediately!"


	2. Sweet Fifteen

**Disclaimer: I don't own Wreck-It Ralph, the respective video game characters used in this story in any way. Wreck-It Ralph belongs to Disney, and all video game characters belong to their respective owners (Nintendo, Sony Entertainment, Square Enix, Bungie Studios, Electronic Arts, etc). This work is a non-profit, fan-based story (fan fiction). Please support the official release.**

* * *

**Chapter 1: Sweet Fifteen**

The alarm clock went off. With immediate excitement, Vanellope erupted from bed, slamming the snooze button on her alarm before her feet hit the floor. One week to go. Hyper with anticipation, she could hardly contain her joy as she gleefully marked off her calendar. One week to go. Tripping over her feet as she undressed and changed into her daily outfit, a green hoodie, candy cane stockings with Reese's wrapper skirt. One week to go. Throwing it all together, the tomboy did not give a second look to the mirror, her messy hair bound loosely by a hair tie. She didn't care, especially this week's upcoming Friday. One week to go until her fifteenth birthday.

Vanellope was running through the corridors of the Candy Palace. The arcade would be opening any minute now, and she needed to be at the track for today's race. She was so excited that she pixelated with joy as she slid down the hand rail of the staircase. As much as she loved racing, her mind was preoccupied with the coming Friday. She was so happy that this time will be her first celebrated birthday. Unlike the rest of the years of her existence, this time she'd have more than a stolen cupcake and a lone candle.

Over at the racetrack, everyone noticed their president's unusual gleeful prancing and skipping about. Vanellope's is not usually so coy and girly, but everyone couldn't escape notice her ditzy attitude. Playing with her hair or hoodie strings, twirling around, and giving off such cheery smile. No mischievous grin? No pranks pulled on the boys? No playful jeering? What happened to their tomboy president?

Jumping on the hood of her kart, Vanellope gleefully declared, "One week to go!"

"Whoa! Slow down there," Rancis said, "Don't want you to explode just yet. The race hasn't even started yet."

"Oh my gosh! Are you excited for this Friday?" Candlehead asked.

"Hell yeah! I can't believe I'm turning fifteen!" Vanellope replied.

In her joyful attitude, a brief hint of sadness stopped her for a moment. A lingering twinge of pain immediately was buried under her joy. She will not let the memory of _him_ ruin today for her. As the arcade opened, Sugar Rush citizen's cheer in the stands heightened the excitement for today's race.

Everyone was happy for Vanellope, sharing in her joy for her birthday, except for a pink lollipop girl. Taffyta Muttonfudge glared at the young, sweet president, crushing her lollipop with her teeth, shards of pink hard candy gritting in her mouth. Lowering her visor, she had just about enough of her smiling. Time someone wiped that expression from her face.

* * *

Short, rapid breathes. Beads of sweat rolled down her temples. A surge of adrenaline coursed throughout her body, as she sprinted across the corridors of the tower.

_Come on, where the heck is the Gamer?_ she thought, _I can't cover all the Cybugs by myself._

The blonde platoon sergeant made cover behind a corner of a hallway.

"Reloading!" She screamed, grabbing an extra clip from her tool belt.

Cyan blue and lime green Cybugs were spilling from the vents, doorways, and windows. A good twelve meters down was buried underneath wave after wave of Cybugs. This level was complete hell.

"Markowski! Where are you?" she screamed into her earpiece.

"Covering point ahead of the Gamer. He's almost in position. Give it about a minute, he'll have the explosives planted," he replied.

"Cut the time in half! I'm going to get slaughtered up here!"

"Roger that, Sarge! Markowski out!"

The blonde platoon sergeant was Tamora Jean Calhoun, non-commissioned commanding officer of Hero's Duty space marine corps. She was blonde, pink skin flushed from running and sweating all day long. This Gamer was good, he managed to make it to Level Eighty-Nine in record time. But it was no good relaxing yet, after all the last six miles of a marathon are the hardest.

Sergeant Calhoun, Corporal Markowski, and the Gamer were all that's left of the squad. Usually, most of the NPC squad mates got taken out by this point. This was the last ten levels until the Cybug Queen on Level Ninety-Nine.

Calhoun fed a clip into the lower receiver of her assault rifle, cocking the bolt back, snapping the firing pin into place.

"Here we go, boys!" Sergeant Calhoun shouted.

Calhoun charged the hallway, unleashing a barrage of automatic fire. Loud crackle and bang of each rapid shot echoed discordantly. The stopping power of each bullet impacted hard into each Cybug, dropping them dead before exploding. Calhoun rolled into a doorway, hitting the button, closing the door behind her.

"Markowski! Sit-rep!" Tamora ordered.

"Last charge in place! Brace yourself, Sarge!" he replied.

Suddenly, a large boom erupted floors below her. A blinding orange fireball bursted through the floor, the peak overpressure popped her ears. The bang and force of the shockwave slammed hard into her chest, tossing her backwards into the wall.

A few moments later, after a hazy smoke from the explosion, a figure ran up towards her.

"Sarge! Ma'am, get up!" Markowski said.

She blacked out for a second. Looking at Markowski standing over her, lending a hand. The Gamer was beside him. She grabbed Markowski's hand, lifting her up.

"Right! Move like you have a purpose!" Calhoun ordered.

The hallway was clear, but in the floor from the explosion was a wide gap. On the other side was an open elevator. This was their ticket out of the fraying pan and into the next fire.

Calhoun sprinted towards the gap, lunge jumping into the air, she crashed on the other side of the chasm.

"Soldier! Come over and jump, now!" Calhoun ordered.

The Gamer charged the chasm, jumping into the air. He landed, but slipped back down into the gap. Calhoun lunged towards the Gamer, grabbing his hand.

"Hold on, soldier!" she said, "We're almost there!"

The Gamer was struggling, on the screen his face was flustered. He wasn't going to lose now.

"Drop your weapon! Give me your other hand!" Calhoun said.

The Gamer look surprised. He spent half a dozen levels upgrading to this heavy plasma rifle. The Gamer look silent, thinking about it.

"Drop it!" she yelled.

Too late, the Gamer slipped through her grip. The Gamer's robot fell three stories down before being engulfed by the blazing fury below.

"Game Over!" An announcement voice declared.

"Dang it!" she yelled, "So close to the end."

A loud thunder rumbled from outside the tower. The beacon was being activated, wiping out all straggler Cybugs throughout the game of Hero's Duty. Sergeant Calhoun and Corporal Markowski were walked towards to another elevator. This one wasn't going to lift them to Level Ninety, but instead were emergency transport for returning to start positions. These elevators were only activated when a Game Over was declared.

"Return to starting position, Markowski. It's going to be a long day," Calhoun said.

"Ma'am, if I may ask something?" Markowski asked.

"What is it?"

"Well, it's about this Friday. Evan Bernard from Time Crisis 4 is wondering if you will be attending the holiday security meeting. He's aware of plans over at Fix-It Felix to celebrate a birthday party."

"Tell Evan that I'll be there on time. Vanellope will understand, I have job as chief security officer for protecting Litwak's Arcade."

It was a recent formation of hers, she decided to create an inter-game police force, and in situations of emergency, a reserve army. Because of the Sugar Rush Incident with the Turbo crisis and Cybug outbreak, it was their job to enforce no game jumping and to respond to any crisis like another Cybug outbreak.

"Won't she be disappointed to find your not there?" Markowski asked.

"We're not that close. Vanellope's friends and Ralph will be there for her." Calhoun replied.

* * *

"Listen up Echo Team. We're about to begin the mission briefing, so pay close attention. I am not going to repeat myself," said the officer in charge.

"Yes sir," the group of four said.

"Your mission is to recon and gather intelligence about Litwak's Arcade. You will infil through the Wi-Fi modem, travel surreptitiously through the electric wires during operating business hours into the surge protector."

The officer switched on a projector. On screen was pictures of Litwak's Arcade, though one game in particularly was of peculiar emphasis.

"There you will have to collect three categories of information. The first is geography and traffic of the arcade's surge protector itself. Find out the peak hours of travel, the location of every game's socket, and any potential security. I want detailed schematics and maps for the main operation. Information of traffic would help us determine the right time to infil the main operation without interference or anyone running into us."

He clicked a mouse on a laptop beside the projector. There was a picture of the Fix-It Felix Jr arcade game.

"Your second objective is Fix-It Felix Jr's relationships. Find out who his friends and family are, then monitor and survey their activities. I want a general profile of each person. Girlfriend, best bud, arch rival, his father, any charity cases, and/or any enemies he's picked up."

"Are we allowed to converse with the target?" Someone asked.

"Yes, talking and making conversation with them is permitted, but keep it minimal. I can't imagine this closed off, sheltered community has many strangers to each other. People talk, and if you are found out of not having a game or belonging anywhere. You get the idea," the officer replied.

"The third objective is to survey the game of Fix-It Felix Jr's itself. I want you to find out who lives there, what their schedules are, who visits the game from the outside, and who leaves the game to travel among the other games. Is it a social place? Do they not have many friends and are isolated? Do they have parties? Do they keep to themselves? Do they not stay home after hours? I want to know what we're up to. These are you three primary objectives. Any questions?" the officer finished.

"What are our rules of engagement?" someone asked.

"No casualties under any circumstances. We cannot risk arousing suspicion of missing characters. Keep a low profile and try to blend into the crowd," the officer replied.

"Will we be in radio blackout? I know most arcade games don't connect to the internet," someone asked.

"Yes. No internet access means absolutely no radio contact with command. You will be on your own for the entire week. We won't be able to offer supplies or send emergency extraction if you're compromised. Remember, once you leave the Playstation console, you will be at risk for deletion. If you die outside your home consoles, you will not respawn. Game over," the officer replied.

"What equipment can we bring with us?" someone asked.

"Civilian clothing. You are permitted to bring a sidearm pistol, but no major weapons. That means no chainsaw, Juliet, and you can't bring your SC-20K rifle, Sam. Stealth and disguise are of utmost importance. Supply for the week, but pack light. If you can't carry it in a backpack, don't bring it," the officer replied.

"Will we have to scavenge for our own food?" Juliet asked.

"Not necessarily. Triage some rations from supply, but remember the weight issue. Too heavy or too bulky will hinder your movements. If you have the opportunity to accept hospitality being offered, you are permitted to accept it. That reminds me, Do not leave anything unattended. Do not store or put things in hiding for safe keeping. Always carry your gear. I don't want to leave a trace. Anymore questions?" the officer said.

"No, sir." the group of four said.

"Very well. You will leave at o'six hundred hours. Sam, you are in charge of the mission. Pack up and load out in the morning. Echo Team dismissed."


	3. Author's Note

Author's Note: I won't be able to update weekly. I've found a job that requires me to be out of town, away from the city ergo internet connection. I promise on my off days I will give you three updates that week. Except the updates the first week of next month. Sorry!


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